In some Wiccan traditions, Lammas is the time of year when the Goddess takes on the aspects of the Harvest Mother. The earth is fruitful and abundant, crops are bountiful, and livestock are fattening up for winter. However, the Harvest Mother knows that the cold months are coming, and so she encourages us to begin gathering up what we can. This is the season for harvesting corn and grain, so that we can bake bread to store and have seeds for next year's planting.

1.  This ritual celebrates the beginning of the harvest season and the cycle of rebirth, and can be done by a solitary practitioner or adapted for a group or coven setting. Decorate your altar with symbols of the season -- sickles and scythes, garden goodies like ivy and grapes and corn, poppies, dried grains, and early autumn foods like apples. If you like, light some incense.

2.  Have a candle on your altar to represent the Harvest Mother -- choose something in orange, red or yellow. These colors not only represent the blaze of the summer sun, but also the coming changes of autumn. You'll also need a few stalks of wheat and an un-sliced loaf of bread (homemade is best, but if you can't manage, a store-bought loaf will do). A goblet of ritual wine is optional.

If your tradition requires you to cast a circle, do so now.

3.  Light the candle, and say:

    The Wheel of the Year has turned once more,
    and the harvest will soon be upon us.
    We have food on our tables, and
    the soil is fertile.
    Nature's bounty, the gift of the earth,
    gives us reasons to be thankful.
    Mother of the Harvest, with your sickle and basket,
    bless me with abundance and plenty.

Hold the stalks of wheat before you, and think about what they symbolize: the power of the earth, the coming winter, the necessity of planning ahead. What do you need help planning right now? Are there sacrifices you should be making in the present that will be reaped in the future?

4.  Rub the stalks between your fingers so a few grains of wheat fall upon the altar. Scatter them on the ground as a gift to the earth. If you're inside, leave them on the altar for now -- you can always take them outside later. Say:

     The power of the Harvest is within me.
     As the seed falls to the earth and is reborn each year,
     I, too, grow as the seasons change.
     As the grain takes root in the fertile soil,
     I, too, will find my roots and develop.
     As the smallest seed blooms into a mighty stalk,
     I, too, will bloom where I landed.
     As the wheat is harvested and saved for winter,
     I, too, will set aside that which I can use later.

5.  Tear off a piece of the bread. If you're performing this ritual as a group, pass the loaf around the circle so that each person present can take off a small chunk of bread. As each person passes the bread, they should say:

    I pass to you this gift of the first harvest.

When everyone has a piece of bread, say:

     As the grain dies, it transforms to bread,
     and brings us life through the winter.
     We bless this bread, and it blesses us in return,
     and we are thankful for the gift of the harvest.

6.  Everyone eats their bread together. If you have ritual wine, pass it around the circle for people to wash the bread down. Once everyone has finished their bread, take a moment to meditate on the cycle of rebirth and how it applies to your own life - physically, emotionally, spiritually. When you are ready, if you have cast a circle, close it or dismiss the quarters at this time. Otherwise, simply end the ritual in the manner of your tradition.

What You Need:

   * A candle to represent the Harvest Mother
   * Stalks of wheat
   * A loaf of bread
   * Ritual wine (optional)